Why is it so hard to fight pirates

Somali Pirates have been know for controlling the headlines of newspaper on the recent years. Their crimes and tactics took many people by surprise as an unknown threat that became source of fear and terror. Crew members and tourists sailing the Indian Sea are very aware that Somali pirates operate on the location and make sure to take extreme measures to prevent any sort of attack or criminal activity. Government and authorities have also been aware of the situation and are trying to fight it strongly the pirates however hijacks, robberies and even murders are constant in the Somali Coast. This article will make an attempt to explain why pirates are still freely operating in the world waters, why is it so hard to catch and prosecute the pirates?

A British Couple made headlines last month when pirates released them from captivity after a constant fight by NAVY officials and negotiators to try to release the couple without the help of financial incentives. This however did not happen and at the end, the pirates received millions of dollars in ransoms. This is a daily routine for pirates in which hijack vessels on a weekly basis and receive millions in ransoms as multinationals do not have the time to negotiate the release only on verbal methods.

The Pirates are free from legislation. That is the statement that is heard on any maritime security course or international relations college class. As Somalia suffered difficult political times over the past two decades, completely losing government authorities and political autonomy, the country became the land of the free for criminals. Used to no consequences and no regulations, Somali men in which had previous experiences from army activities saw a lucrative opportunity in the coastal cities of the country.

Furthermore, the international authorities do not help with the legal and bureaucratic side of the issue. Somali Pirate Muse was taken to trial in the United States in 2008 after being recognized as the first maritime piracy trial since the 1800's. The issue caused protest from the American public as NAVY officials were killed by Somali pirates in the same year and were not caught nor prosecuted. The UN and many countries around the world are working on tighter legislation to bring pirates to trail in local territories as the only places they were being able to be prosecuted was Somalia, in which has no legislative authority, and Kenya in which was being super-populated with piracy trials.

The bottom line is how anti piracy will be developed in the future years. New strategies and new private companies are being set to fight pirates in the Indian Sea. Legislation should also be renovated by countries such as US, UK and China in which suffered huge economic distresses with the issue. The UN should also incentive a stronger political reconstruction of Somalia in which many consider to be the elemental source of the problem.